Modification of Custody!! Moms Beware!!

We all hear that, for better or worse, it is very difficult to take custody from a child's Mother - Especially in the state of TX..NOT TRUE!! Do not get too ****y Moms! I am a stable, employed, Mom who has had custody of both children since the divorce 3 yrs ago. One child is only 3 and one only 7. In TX, custody can only be changed for 3 reasons, abandonment of the kids for 6mnths, if the kids are over age 10 and request a change or staying with the Mom will significantly damage emotional, physical or spiritual development of the child. I assume this is a no brainer! I live in a nice house, am extremely responsible, do not even date, nop drugs, alcohol, participate in kids lives both at school and extracurricular, work..but not too much, make good money, take them to church, etc. I even turned down lucrative job offers to stay near the children's dad so he too could see them whenever he wished. He went a full yr without paying any support, when he started finally, he never paid the arrearges, and always threatened me with custody if I were to turn him in. He also refused to pay the amount that was court ordered or to pay it to me! He decided what bills needed to be paid and paid them directly. Finally, he went to an attorney to get all this fixed so he could get his driver's license renewed (in TX deadbeat Dad's cannot get a license) and as he never paid as the court ordered or thru the gaurdian ad litum, he was in the eyes of Tx, a deadbeat. The DAY we agreed on everything and I got my check, he sued for custody. I had never thought he would and never kept track of all his abusive phone calls, sneaky tricks, times he took the kids from school to scare me without my knowing it, etc...but he had a notebook, going back two yrs, with every bad word, time I was late taking or picking the kids up from school, forgotten appointment, late prescription refill...every petty thing. When I had nothing with which to counter actually documented....The Court Modified! NOW, at least temporarily, we alternate weeks and he pays all childcare and my support, paid to me is lowered by $500 a month.
In all honesty, I am a very good mom. I do all the homework, cub scouts, church, chores, Drs visits etc....he takes them to movies and camping. So be careful Moms! Never EVER forget to document. Its tedious, keeps negative thoughts alive but may be necessary. It is very politically correct to rule in favor of Dads these days. Why can it not be politically correct, as it is morally, to rule in favor of the KIDS? I am on "probation" for 3 mnths...despite all evidence pointing to my home being the stable one. It hurts, its the final betrayal and all in an effort to continue to avoid paying his support.

Hi MominTX, I lost my 2 children in a poltically correct manuever too. I am the Grandmother with a daughter who kept all the documentation and was told that the complaining parent, which they had no complaints against her, probably had a derrogatory effect on the children. So they got a 6 mo/6 mo system which was ridiculous for the children. She chose to go back to court and try for some stability in their lives and because she was complaining again she lost custody completely. Its bad for her but has been better for the children to have one home permantly but if youve read my ? earlier youll know that the oldest is trying to change this now. Good Luck and my sympathy is with you. Janet

Hi MominTX, I lost my 2 children in a poltically correct manuever too. I am the Grandmother with a daughter who kept all the documentation and was told that the complaining parent, which they had no complaints against her, probably had a derrogatory effect on the children. So they got a 6 mo/6 mo system which was ridiculous for the children. She chose to go back to court and try for some stability in their lives and because she was complaining again she lost custody completely. Its bad for her but has been better for the children to have one home permantly but if youve read my ? earlier youll know that the oldest is trying to change this now. Good Luck and my sympathy is with you. Janet

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

I am on the other side of the fence my husband ex gave up custody of her son when he was 7 just entering 2 grade,I have a girl now 10 stepson now 12.I KEEP all the records made all the paper trails ext waiting till she would "hang" herself. We pay child support 10 week but have custody.Her gas money was told.Every time she got mad she take us to court her lawyer was free but ours was not.Well last month she filed emergancy change of custody lost than wanted it taken to trial.Her reason was that she had been told by husbands dr that he had a gun and wanted to kill her Dr even talked to judge was told that she twisted the conversation. Husband 32 me 34 he was just dx with congestive heart failure and I am brittle diabetic. She asked in court that a child avocate look at both homes ALSO this cost us 1000 right off the bet to prove ourselfs and her 600 or that what she is suong us for lawyer.The judge decided that SHE was unfit to raise and the constant strain of the past6 yrs, with her that stepson is NOW in husband mom care for 6 month and acting out so will probably have to be put in juvenile home. SAD